How Cold shout it get ? Aircon

[rik007]

Hi, Having just replaced the main fan on my car I thought I'd be enjoying ice cold air from the aircon. However its just very cool rather than refreshingly cold. Which was a bit disappointing after all the effort.

I also had the local garage remove and replace the gas, which oddly made no difference what so ever for another £45!

Am I expecting too much of the aircon or should it produce a certain measurable degree of cold air?

Many thanks, Rich.

[Geoff130]

Mine gives very cold air, I'm sure someone with more experience will tell you how to check further.

[sworks]

Generally around 6 degrees when measured at the vents with a thermometer

[bikerdude666]

Last time I took mine to be re-gassed, he measured the temp at the vents before and after the re-gas. From memory it was around 13 degrees before and 6 or 7 degrees after.

[T-Cut]

Having just replaced the main fan on my car I thought I'd be enjoying ice cold air from the aircon. However its just very cool rather than refreshingly cold. Which was a bit disappointing after all the effort.

Maybe worth looking at the aircon's condenser matrix. The fan can blow its heart out, but with a bald matrix it still won't work. This photo (from Jules I believe) says it all.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DknQrXGwLsA/VWA_rzQ-kNI/AAAAAAAASvg/iSES715gNSM/w702-h527-no/upload_-1

TC

[grivas]

Maybe worth looking at the aircon's condenser matrix. The fan can blow its heart out, but with a bald matrix it still won't work. This photo (from Jules I believe) says it all.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DknQrXGwLsA/VWA_rzQ-kNI/AAAAAAAASvg/iSES715gNSM/w702-h527-no/upload_-1

TC

This is precisely why air con should be SERVICED by a small independent air-con specialist who is going to check the entire system A to Z so as said above, if the condenser is not condensing then that is that.
The temperature in the cabin with a fully functioning system should be 5 deg Celsius, just like a refrigerator.

[neilll]

Mines nice and cold after being checked by Jules but I don`t have a face like that behind my matrix (thank god)!!
Neil

[chris75]

The temperature in the cabin with a fully functioning system should be 5 deg Celsius, just like a refrigerator.

Apologies for being picky :} but the temp in the cabin should be whatever you have set on your controls ie 18, 19 , 20 deg C etc .The air coming out of the vents should be 4deg C ; the speed at which the fan pumps the 4 deg air in controls the cooling of the cabin as the air mixes . :}

[SCP440]

Technically A/C should remove between 15 and 18 degrees of heat from the ambient temperature.

The problem you have is you turn the Evaporator into a block of Ice it wont flow air as well so you reduce its efficancy, ideally it needs to be held just above freezing so you get maximum airflow and maximum cooling.

In the engine bay with the A/C on one of the A/C pipes should be ice cold to the touch and one should be hot, if not you have a problem.

[rik007]

Thanks everyone for very helpful info .... mine is certainly not 4 - 6 degrees. Which is a real backside. I've got a funny feeling it must be the radiator for the aircon .... bits of rotted ali were falling off of it.

Bumper off again more expense .... and the winter will arrive, then it'll be FBH time! Feel lie i'm chasing my tail!

:-)

Rich

[The Rovering Member]

Here's a link to Jules' aircon thread:

https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=68340

[grivas]

Apologies for being picky :} but the temp in the cabin should be whatever you have set on your controls ie 18, 19 , 20 deg C etc .The air coming out of the vents should be 4deg C ; the speed at which the fan pumps the 4 deg air in controls the cooling of the cabin as the air mixes . :}

Yes I do understand that but at its most cold is about 5 degrees, when the outside temperature is 35 ( in the Southern/Eastern Med!!)

[T-Cut]

- - - at its most cold is about 5 degrees, when the outside temperature is 35

I'd say that's pretty good going for an old aircon system. A 35C ambient will push any condenser to the limit.

TC

[hogweed]

.... and the winter will arrive, then it'll be FBH time!

Yeah, but you really want to keep the aircon on during the winter too - keeps the windows mist free.

Mine hasn't been turned off in 7 years :eek:

[Jules]

Hi, Having just replaced the main fan on my car I thought I'd be enjoying ice cold air from the aircon. However its just very cool rather than refreshingly cold. Which was a bit disappointing after all the effort.

I also had the local garage remove and replace the gas, which oddly made no difference what so ever for another £45!

Am I expecting too much of the aircon or should it produce a certain measurable degree of cold air?

Many thanks, Rich.


During regas did they check the LO & HI pressures?
How can they just send you on your way after fleecing you of 45 quid without an explanation of the temp not being between 3 and 8 degC ??!!



Ok if the condenser is corroded you should still get evaporation with a 2 BAR reading on the LOW side. But the high pressure will often exceed 15bar especially on a warm day.


If you make the trip here I will give you full appraisal of the system.

I suspect incorrect procedure has been used or maybe the compressor is shot.

You should hear whooping noises behind the dash if the compressor is producing good heat/pressure even if the condenser is shot.

[hogweed]

Can’t remember what the OP said now, but… mine had been gradually fading, so last year on an impulse I took it to {insert funny/obscene yet appropriate play on the word “Kwikfit” here}, when I was a long way from where I live.

Can’t remember what they charged me – something like that £45 I suppose – but it didn’t make any difference. I was distracted with other things, but later glanced at their receipt, which said “Remember, you only pay if the temperature at your vents is 10o lower than when you brought it in.”

I gave up trying to contact the branch I took it to (I had to speak to the manager, who knew better than to be available or return calls), and emailed their main office to complain, as I had been presented with no evidence that the temperature had dropped – they clearly hadn’t tested it. To say I was given the run-around is the understatement of the century – I got a broken record approach:

“You’ll have to bring it in and let us have a look at it again”.
- No, I DON’T have to do that – your contract is VERY simple, and says I don't have to pay unless the temperature has dropped 10o – and it hasn’t. So I’d like the refund please.
“Well, you’ll have to bring it in and let us have a look at it again”.
Eventually I just let it go. The only value in my experience – borne out by subsequent discussions with others – is: DON’T EVER, EVER GO TO KWIKFIT. For anything. Ever.

Mine turned out to have a leaking pipe – replaced by my local garage, and so far so good…

[Jules]

I would agree.


KWIK FIT HALFRAUDS NATIONAL TYRES and many chains are on commission based sales.


They are not interested in what is really wrong with you car they simply want to sell as many brakes exhausts dampers AC gas etc as possible.


Bunch of crooks round here and We have photographic evidence for things like:


Told one lady her brake pads were low (friend of a friend) when in fact there was still 8mm pad thickness remaining (there is only 9mm on new pads !!!


MGF owner was failed on emissions and told whole new exhaust inc CAT was required. A 2nd opinion was sought at another test station............Emissions were in fact found to be well in spec


One of my customers paid for tracking to be done. When we serviced his Contemporary the same day, we found and photographed the fact that the track rod end nuts had never been disturbed in a long while.
They told him that tracking was way out and fleeced him of 35 quid



We see fraudulent evidence month after month and it's up to the customers concerned and effected by these crimes to take action and take these companies down but no one to date had asked for our evidence in court because they simply don't want the hassle.

This is how these large companies prosper year on year and carry on conning folk day in day out !!

[hogweed]

Bunch of crooks round here

I couldn’t agree more Jules. The best one ever, though, was when I owned a Mk II Golf GTI 16V back in about 1993 (good handling, but disappointing performance, since you ask). It needed a pair of tyres, and the local Kwikfit guy sidled up to me after examining it and said “Look, this is a bit embarrassing, but my wife has the same car as yours, and wrote it off last week, after having two new tyres fitted! I could let you have them for half price, and we can slip them on here for you.

Sometimes, when you're caught in the right frame of mind, you can miss the obvious… I turned up later, and there he was with these two clearly brand new tyres… so new, in fact, that they still had the labels on them. As my brows furrowed, I also noticed that they were the wrong size.

“Oh, don't worry,” he said – “I can get you the right ones, no problem…” I didn’t actually ask him how many cars his wife wrote off per week, or whether she wrecked them to order, but made my excuses and left…

But I’ve heard ENDLESS stories such as you mention. I’ve tried taking things like this up with Trading Standards, but they don’t seem to have the will to live any more.

[rustymotor]

I was at a Kwik fit 20 years ago when an old lady with a Morris Minor that needed a brake master cylinder, the manager was telling her the job would cost around £600..

[hogweed]

I was at a Kwik fit 20 years ago when an old lady with a Morris Minor that needed a clutch master cylinder, the manager was telling her the job would cost around £600..

Sadly, fr one of our cars, that would probably be about right... well, if you replace the slave cylinder anyway, and then you might as well do the clutch as you have to dismantle the entire car to get to the slave... but I bet Kwikf*kyou would charge £6000 for that :eek:

[rustymotor]

Sadly, fr one of our cars, that would probably be about right... well, if you replace the slave cylinder anyway, and then you might as well do the clutch as you have to dismantle the entire car to get to the slave... but I bet Kwikf*kyou would charge £6000 for that :eek:

It was the brake cylinder I made a mistake..yes, I guess gone are the days of repair kits :}

Thing is hogweed it's same as the vectra or mondeo for example, sub frame drop and gearbox out.

[Nick Greg]

Took mine to Kwik Fit with an "exhaust noise" Told it needed a complete new one. Thought about it and left. Took it my favourite local MG Rover garage who tightened up the exhaust manifold nuts and problem solved in 10 mnutes. No charge.

[Nick Greg]

And answer to how cold it should get. In my experience ruddy freezing. 75 is best air con I've had yet. I do leave it on all year as well. Good for window demisting in winter.

[rustymotor]

Mine is not ultra cold probably needs a re-gas though, I don't mind it not being freezing cold so will probably leave it alone..

[rik007]

Well here is the evidence, but you could have fooled me.

I took the car back to the garage, theu checked it out again and said the aircon was full of correct amount of gas and it was blowing cold.

So I took it for a drive with a temp gauge and sure enough it was around four degrees! But weirdly it felt just like cool air!! I checked it against the outside air temp and it read within 0.5 of a degree. So it must be reading OK.

There we go then ... proof I have no idea about how cold it gets, which is why my wife always says its freezing in our house :-)

Thanks again everyone for your help! Much appreacited.

68399

[minty2]

And answer to how cold it should get. In my experience ruddy freezing. 75 is best air con I've had yet. I do leave it on all year as well. Good for window demisting in winter.

I have to put my CC into Econ mode on cool days (like much of the summer this year so far in West Yorks) otherwise the freezing cold draft from the air vents begins to annoy me. That's with the CC settings at 20°C on both sides. Maybe I should be setting the T°C a tad higher?